Special Seminar on Cross-Cultural Dynamics and Identity Formation in Malaysia at TUFS, Tokyo, Japan, 15 May 2026

On May 15, 2026, KITA Research Fellow Dr. Nurul Akqmie Badrul Hisham, was invited as Guest Speaker to deliver a lecture on ‘The Mediatization of the Korean Wave among Malaysian Youth‘ at the ‘Special Seminar: Cross-Cultural Dynamics and Identity Formation in Malaysia’ that took place at the Tokyo University of Foreign Studies (TUFS), Japan. The lecture drew on a longitudinal perspective on the Malaysian media ecosystem (2016-2026), exploring how Hallyu (Korean Wave) has maintained a resilient decade-long presence in Malaysia despite early scholarly predictions that religious and cultural differences might restrict its integration into Muslim-majority societies. The event was organized by the Institute for Global Area Studies, TUFS, with Professor Soda Naoki serving as the coordinator and moderator.

Note: KITA’s involvement in the activities mentioned herein contributes towards the following SDG(s) of the UN Sustainable Development Goals: SDG4, SDG12 and SDG17.